- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 841
Hi! This is my last acquisition and I’d like to share with you here my impressions and experiences with this folder, as usual as a week-end hiker and an hobbyist, no expert at all 
. I am carrying this knife since more than one month now, as my only EDC blade. My daily uses mainly revolve around random cutting of various packaging materials at work (polymeric, cardboard materials, cordages of sorts etc.), food prep (at work I prepare my breakfast and lunch and at home I have some fun) and the occasional household maintenance chores, like cutting zip ties, masking tape, shade/screening nets, loose threads, different types of consumer goods and food packages, some gardening tasks, etc. I have also carried the ZT0095 out on the trails for at least a couple of one day hikes in the mountains I have close by here. Overall, to give a kind of frame for my EDC use, I’d define it as “light/medium utility” .
This is my second ZT. I had a very good experience with the 0909 as a product and really like it very much. It has gained a place in the short list of big folders I own and use during my outdoor activities, easy level hiking/camping, mainly in protected/regulated areas as the Alps here are. So I thought, why not getting another ZT as my next folder? Since when it first came out on the market, I was very intrigued by the ZT0095 from an aesthetical point of view. Really I consider this as one of the most elegant and good looking folding knife designs since a while (the Lionsteel Ti spine has been the last one giving me a similar feeling). If I remember it correctly, the very first run of the ZT0095 went to Russia, in a Ti natural colour version, sporting a blue standoff. That was 2015.
Then, presented at the 2016 Shot Show, if I remember right, the ZT 0095BW was disclosed. “BW” stands for a black wash finish. I don’t like that finish so much (just a matter of personal taste) and I have already a couple of S35V blades so I decided to pass on it. This year, ZT released what is normally referred to as a “sprint run” (knife industry lingo meaning a small production batch/limited edition of a variation on an existing knife). In this case, ZT came out with the 0095S90BLK. This model was offered with a more premium blade steel (S90V) and a black Diamond Like Coating (DLC) on the blade and handle scales. This model got me interested again and I ordered one. I can openly say I fell for the strong tactical appeal, its flowing lines and the “deadly elegance” of its design, underlined and highlighted by the total black DLC coating. Now, to be fair, being this one a user (as all my knives are), it would have been better to get the stone washed finish. This would have allowed me to beat up on it like I do (reasonably) without leaving use marks and scratches on the finish. DLC is tough but stones and metal can be sometimes tougher. Since I consider scratches and use marks as adding character to a blade, I don’t care and I go on using this baby. Overall, the DLC coating holds up quite well
!
The defining characteristics of my new ZT0095 knife are its black matte finish and the signature look of its blade which blends right into the titanium handle for a unified sleek and aggressive look. The look of this folder was immediately striking for me: an elegant simplicity and sobriety in form and finish, an almost “minimalistic” knife. Fit and finish was flawless, basically perfect for me, comparable to a mid tech folder, as a minimum. The shape of the blade recalls an harpoon-style, but, beyond that, I recognize a modified drop point with a nice gradual belly on the blade and a slightly dropped angle on the tip. The blade is sturdy and the harpoon style design is functional, I appreciate how my thumb locks naturally into the stop created along the spine. There is a lot of belly for utility work and the factory edge was exceptionally sharp! Whoever set the edge did really a good job. The blade has a length of about 100 mm (9.8) for a 3 mm (3.1) thick and has a curved cutting edge which ends with a thin and sharp tip. It has a choil to terminate the edge and allow easier sharpening. Both the blade spine and handle edges are nicely chamfered but not completely rounded. The blade is made out of CPM S90V. I am not a steel expert at all but from what I have learnt and directly experienced, this steel excels in edge retention (I still have to sharpen this) and wear resistance, sports a decent corrosion resistance but – on papers - it looks hard to sharpen properly, at least with my equipment (a Lansky guided system with diamond hones and a couple of water stones) and my current skills. The vanadium does the trick, being almost three times the amount found in e.g. Elmax or S30V. After more than one month of daily use, it’s still shaving sharp. The high flat grind makes this almost a full flat grind and, as such, it slices very well. The blade thickness is only 3 mm and this makes deep slicing cuts very easy. The flat grind combines also with a sleek but broad-bellied blade and this increase further its slicing capability. All in all a great tool for food prep on the trails. About piercing and stabbing it’s truly great but a word of caution here is needed: I have tested this as usual (do this with all my new folders), stabbing and twisting into the various media I normally cut (e.g. HDPE, aluminium cans, cardboard stacks, wood/wood based materials, etc.). It passed the test well, the lock it’s rock solid but the tip is on the “delicate” side. I didn’t want to break it, so I did not abused my knife in this direction, anyway it’s something to consider. I treat this one the same way I would do with my Spyderco PM2.
The titanium handle includes a frame lock that secures the blade open during use. The frame lock mechanism is made of a rugged thick titanium slab about 4 mm thick. A steel insert has been applied - hidden in a recess milled in the locking spring - to act as an interface with the blade tang. This solution, already used in other ZT models (and in many other folders that use a titanium frame lock), is ideal to ensure the highest level of safety and precision of the couplings of the lock system. Titanium alloys have a lower hardness compared to steels and is prone to wearing and/or galling in the long run. One thing I miss is there’s no jimping on either the spine of the blade or the top of the handle. Sure the handle fits the hand in a good way but, especially when wet, for me it feels sometimes to have literally a soap bar in the hand. No issues with gloves in this respect, also thanks to the harpoon “scoop” on the spine of the blade that lets my thumb nestle in nicely and guide the blade when using the knife for more detailed work. One thing ZT could consider doing, that may improve the ergos/grip of this knife, is maybe put some jimping on it and offer a run with a G10 scale on the presentation side. As is, the ergonomics of the handle are good enough for most of my cutting task but the grip/traction can be definitely improved.
. I am carrying this knife since more than one month now, as my only EDC blade. My daily uses mainly revolve around random cutting of various packaging materials at work (polymeric, cardboard materials, cordages of sorts etc.), food prep (at work I prepare my breakfast and lunch and at home I have some fun) and the occasional household maintenance chores, like cutting zip ties, masking tape, shade/screening nets, loose threads, different types of consumer goods and food packages, some gardening tasks, etc. I have also carried the ZT0095 out on the trails for at least a couple of one day hikes in the mountains I have close by here. Overall, to give a kind of frame for my EDC use, I’d define it as “light/medium utility” .This is my second ZT. I had a very good experience with the 0909 as a product and really like it very much. It has gained a place in the short list of big folders I own and use during my outdoor activities, easy level hiking/camping, mainly in protected/regulated areas as the Alps here are. So I thought, why not getting another ZT as my next folder
? Since when it first came out on the market, I was very intrigued by the ZT0095 from an aesthetical point of view. Really I consider this as one of the most elegant and good looking folding knife designs since a while (the Lionsteel Ti spine has been the last one giving me a similar feeling). If I remember it correctly, the very first run of the ZT0095 went to Russia, in a Ti natural colour version, sporting a blue standoff. That was 2015.Then, presented at the 2016 Shot Show, if I remember right, the ZT 0095BW was disclosed. “BW” stands for a black wash finish. I don’t like that finish so much (just a matter of personal taste) and I have already a couple of S35V blades so I decided to pass on it. This year, ZT released what is normally referred to as a “sprint run” (knife industry lingo meaning a small production batch/limited edition of a variation on an existing knife). In this case, ZT came out with the 0095S90BLK. This model was offered with a more premium blade steel (S90V) and a black Diamond Like Coating (DLC) on the blade and handle scales. This model got me interested again and I ordered one. I can openly say I fell for the strong tactical appeal, its flowing lines and the “deadly elegance” of its design, underlined and highlighted by the total black DLC coating. Now, to be fair, being this one a user (as all my knives are), it would have been better to get the stone washed finish. This would have allowed me to beat up on it like I do (reasonably) without leaving use marks and scratches on the finish. DLC is tough but stones and metal can be sometimes tougher. Since I consider scratches and use marks as adding character to a blade, I don’t care and I go on using this baby. Overall, the DLC coating holds up quite well
!The defining characteristics of my new ZT0095 knife are its black matte finish and the signature look of its blade which blends right into the titanium handle for a unified sleek and aggressive look. The look of this folder was immediately striking for me: an elegant simplicity and sobriety in form and finish, an almost “minimalistic” knife. Fit and finish was flawless, basically perfect for me, comparable to a mid tech folder, as a minimum. The shape of the blade recalls an harpoon-style, but, beyond that, I recognize a modified drop point with a nice gradual belly on the blade and a slightly dropped angle on the tip. The blade is sturdy and the harpoon style design is functional, I appreciate how my thumb locks naturally into the stop created along the spine. There is a lot of belly for utility work and the factory edge was exceptionally sharp! Whoever set the edge did really a good job. The blade has a length of about 100 mm (9.8) for a 3 mm (3.1) thick and has a curved cutting edge which ends with a thin and sharp tip. It has a choil to terminate the edge and allow easier sharpening. Both the blade spine and handle edges are nicely chamfered but not completely rounded. The blade is made out of CPM S90V. I am not a steel expert at all but from what I have learnt and directly experienced, this steel excels in edge retention (I still have to sharpen this) and wear resistance, sports a decent corrosion resistance but – on papers - it looks hard to sharpen properly, at least with my equipment (a Lansky guided system with diamond hones and a couple of water stones) and my current skills. The vanadium does the trick, being almost three times the amount found in e.g. Elmax or S30V. After more than one month of daily use, it’s still shaving sharp. The high flat grind makes this almost a full flat grind and, as such, it slices very well. The blade thickness is only 3 mm and this makes deep slicing cuts very easy. The flat grind combines also with a sleek but broad-bellied blade and this increase further its slicing capability. All in all a great tool for food prep on the trails. About piercing and stabbing it’s truly great but a word of caution here is needed: I have tested this as usual (do this with all my new folders), stabbing and twisting into the various media I normally cut (e.g. HDPE, aluminium cans, cardboard stacks, wood/wood based materials, etc.). It passed the test well, the lock it’s rock solid but the tip is on the “delicate” side. I didn’t want to break it, so I did not abused my knife in this direction, anyway it’s something to consider. I treat this one the same way I would do with my Spyderco PM2
.The titanium handle includes a frame lock that secures the blade open during use. The frame lock mechanism is made of a rugged thick titanium slab about 4 mm thick. A steel insert has been applied - hidden in a recess milled in the locking spring - to act as an interface with the blade tang. This solution, already used in other ZT models (and in many other folders that use a titanium frame lock), is ideal to ensure the highest level of safety and precision of the couplings of the lock system. Titanium alloys have a lower hardness compared to steels and is prone to wearing and/or galling in the long run. One thing I miss is there’s no jimping on either the spine of the blade or the top of the handle. Sure the handle fits the hand in a good way but, especially when wet, for me it feels sometimes to have literally a soap bar in the hand. No issues with gloves in this respect, also thanks to the harpoon “scoop” on the spine of the blade that lets my thumb nestle in nicely and guide the blade when using the knife for more detailed work. One thing ZT could consider doing, that may improve the ergos/grip of this knife, is maybe put some jimping on it and offer a run with a G10 scale on the presentation side. As is, the ergonomics of the handle are good enough for most of my cutting task but the grip/traction can be definitely improved.
